Swift water rescuers retrieve dog

WINTHROP — Paul Picolet had just stepped out of his truck and was headed to the Java Man in Winthrop for his daily cup of coffee Saturday morning when he heard something that made him turn around fast.

The Twisp rancher’s 2009 Ford pickup had rolled into the Chewuch River. And even worse, Jessie, his border collie and heeler mix, was in the bed.

“I ran over and it was submerged,” he said. “The dog stayed in the bed of the truck, and then it ended up hanging up on a rock to where the dog was OK.” She may have been upset, he said, but, “She’s a good cowdog. She stayed right in there.”

Enter Okanogan County’s swift-water rescuers, along with several other emergency responders, who used an anchored raft and made their way to the truck, rescuing Jessie.

The whole ordeal took about two hours and was pretty emotional, Picolet said. “It was a blessing that it hung up on a rock facing up-river,” he said. “All the prayers that people had from my church, I’m going to give a glory to God about that.”

Picolet said he’s just glad that Jessie’s OK, but added, “The truck’s another story.”

He said he figured it must have slipped out of gear, but when they towed it out of the river, it was still in reverse. “I don’t know what the heck happened.”

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The Today File is a general news blog featuring real-time coverage of Seattle and the Northwest. It is reported by the news staff of The Seattle Times and includes stories from The Associated Press and McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.